Artemis Fowl: The Unexpected Traitor
by FlamingWingsAndFrozenHearts
Summary: Betrayed by a fairy she thought she could trust, Holly is forced to leave Haven and venture aboveground. She turns to Artemis for help, and he agrees, but they are met with a…difficulty. Two, actually. As Haven is reduced to ashes, Holly and Artemis are left on their own. Can they save Haven and the People…or will they die trying? Genre 1 is Action. A/H
1. Prologue

**Thank you to all who took the time to read this far. You are awesome. This is my second AF fanfiction, so let me know what you think with a little push/click of the review button. Oh, and you have to type in a review. But, hey, hopefully you already knew that.**

 **I do not own Artemis Fowl or any of its characters, fictional places, or plot ideas. There will be some characters coming in later that I own, and the plot idea is mine. The first section, however, is an excerpt from _Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian,_ and I used it to help you get a feel of where our story begins. Please follow and favorite, but above all, review!**

* * *

 _With all the genius in my head, I am to be saved by a simple high jump._

He scrambled to his feet and ran toward the edge of the gate tower. It was no more than ten feet. Difficult, but not impossible from a height.

 _What I wouldn't give for a set of Foaly's Hummingbird wings now,_ he thought.

Through the green liquid Artemis saw Holly and Butler cresting the hill, running toward the crater.

 _Stay back, my friends,_ he thought. _I am coming._

And he jumped for his life. Artemis was glad that Butler was there to witness his effort, as it was almost athletic. From this height, Artemis felt as though he were flying.

There was Holly racing down the slope, outrunning Butler for once. Artemis could see by the shape of her mouth that she was shouting his name.

His hands reached the skin of the magic bubble and passed through, and Artemis felt tremendous relief.

 _It worked. Everything will be different now. A new world with humans and fairies living together. I could be an ambassador._

Then the spell caught him as neatly as a bug in a jar, and Artemis slid down the inside of the magical corona as though it were made of glass.

Holly rushed down the hillside, reaching toward the magical light.

"Stay back!", Artemis shouted, and his voice was slightly out of synch with his lips. "The spell will kill you."

Holly did not slow, and Artemis could see that she intended to attempt a rescue.

 _She does not understand,_ he thought.

"Butler!", he called. "Stop her."

The bodyguard reached out his massive arms and folded Holly in a bear hug. She used every escape maneuver in the manual, but there was no slipping such a grip.

"Butler, please. This is not right. It was supposed to be me."

"Wait", said Butler. "Just wait, Holly. Artemis has a plan." He squinted through the green dome. "What is your plan, Artemis?"

All Artemis could do was smile and shrug.

Holly stopped struggling. "The magic shouldn't affect a human, Artemis. Why hasn't it released you?"

Artemis felt the magic scanning his person, looking for something. It found that something in his eye socket.

"I have a fairy eye—one of yours, remember?", said Artemis, pointing to the brown iris. "I thought my human genes could overcome that, but this is perceptive magic. Smart power."

"I'll get the defibrillator.", said Butler. "Perhaps there will be a spark left."

"No", said Artemis. "It will be too late."

Holly's eyes were slits now, and a pallor spread across her face like white paint. She felt sick and broken.

"You knew. Why, Artemis? Why did you do this?"

Artemis did not answer this question. Holly knew him well enough by now to unravel his motives later. He had seconds left, and there were more urgent things to be said.

"Butler, you did not fail me. I tricked you. After all, I am a tactical genius and you were unconscious. I want you to remember that, just case..."

"Just in case of what?", Butler shouted through the viscous light.

Again, Artemis did not answer the question. One way or another, Butler would find out.

"Do you remember what I said to you?", Artemis asked, touching his own forehead.

"I remember.", answered Holly. "But..."

There was no more time for questions. The green mist was sucked backward into the Berserker Gate as though drawn by a vacuum. For a moment Artemis was left standing, unharmed, and Butler dropped Holly to rush to his charge's side. Then Artemis's fairy eye glowed green, and by the time Butler caught the falling boy in his arms, Artemis Fowl's body was already dead.

* * *

Artemis pulled his soul from his body and looked down as Holly fell to her knees, tears running down her face. He resolved to live a long life before he died again, as removing himself from his body was a very unpleasant experience. He resisted the strong urge to pass on to the afterlife. He knew that a person with as much willpower as he could stay on Earth as a ghost for a few years at the most. He hoped the clone would be ready by then.

Artemis looked around, his eyes landing on Opal, and spotted something glowing on the dead pixie's body. He floated down to examine it closer. The strange substance was two colors: one, a light blue, and the other a dark purple. Artemis realized that this wasn't physical matter. What he was seeing was magic. He realized that the small amount of blue represented the sliver of regular magic Opal had had in her system, and the purple covering most of her body represented the black magic Opal had used to open the Berserker Gate. He knew this magic would eat his soul if he embraced it, but he also knew that it would affect the people and animals on the property, so, reaching out one transparent hand, he grabbed the black magic and used it to propel himself across the world, where he deposited most of it in an abandoned city. He kept just enough to shoot himself back to Fowl Manor, then he turned to the tiny specks of blue scattered across the pixie's body.

 _Now, what to do with that?,_ he asked himself. He decided that the best course of action was to absorb it. There wasn't even enough to heal a fingerprick, but Artemis decided to complete the ritual when he got another body. If Foaly was smart enough to know what his plan had been.

* * *

 **6 months later**

"Then you literally saved the world and died. Foaly grew a clone from the DNA you left on my forehead when you kissed me, and here you are.", Holly finished. It had taken nearly a week to help Artemis recover his memories, but every second was worth it in her opinion. Artemis was her best friend, and she wasn't going to get any farther than that if he didn't remember everything. _Everything._ So Holly waited patiently for Butler to excuse himself to the restroom. Then she knocked Foaly out, healed the bruises, and grabbed Artemis's arm. "Arty, we need to talk. Alone. Come." She led the way to his room and locked the door behind them. Artemis ran a bug sweep to make sure no one was watching them, and they sat on the bed.

"What, Holly, is so important that you felt you had to knock Foaly out and drag me up here?"

"Artemis, I refuse to lie to you. You need all your memories...so...in Rathdown Park...there was an... _incident._ "

Artemis looked at her, curious. "Go on."

Holly's face turned a deep shade of crimson, and she looked down at her hands in her lap. "You are aware that I turned back into my horemone-ridden teenage self in the time tunnel, right?"

" Yes, Holly. What was the incident?"

"Artemis, um, well...we kissed."

"And why did you feel you had to tell me this?"

"No doubt you remember it now, and...I wanted to know what you thought."

Artemis pondered it for a moment. "It was actually quite pleasant."

"And if you had the choice to relive that scene, would you?"

Artemis answered without hesitation this time. " Yes, Holly. I would."

The elf grinned, closing the gap between them. "Mud Boy, that's exactly what I wanted to hear." Her lips brushed his, and...Wait, this is T rated. I am not going to go into detail about the kiss. They both enjoyed it. That's all I'm saying.

* * *

 **Woah, sorry. I almost went into M with that. I'll be more careful in future chapters, I promise.**

 **Please review. I must receive 5 reviews before I will update. That wasn't much of a cliffhanger, but still... Do you think Holly was a little OOC?**

 **Come on, type something in. You know you want to. Make the story better with your awesome suggestions. Press the review button. Then follow and favorite. You know you want to...**


	2. 1: Tears

**Explanation for last chapter: My backspace key was broken, so it literally took MONTHS to make sure I didn't make a mistake. Well, I did, and I had to improvise. It was a bad improvisation. The key is fixed now, but by the time I was able to get it fixed, the document had deleted itself and I do this on my tablet, so I can't copy and paste. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!**

 **I only had 3 reviews when I posted this, but I didn't want to keep** hrhowling, OzymandiasMusic, **and a guest waiting. I will need 5 reviews before Chapter 2, though.**

* * *

Artemis got out of bed and looked around. The room felt empty. Even though they had broken up a couple months ago, Artemis sometimes expected her to fly through the window and lay beside him until he woke like she did in the summer.

 _(flashback)_

Artemis's fairy communicator beeped. He answered it and a holographic screen came up, showing Holly's face. He smiled, and she returned it.

"Hey, Holly." That's what she did to him sometimes. He had never spoke a slang word in his life before she came along.

"Hey, Mud Boy." Her smile was brief, and it soon faded into a thin line.

"Artemis, I miss you. A lot. I can barely stand it."

"I'm right there with you. My father says I should focus more on my schoolwork. He must have forgotten that I am a genius." Artemis scowled. "It's good to see your face, Holly. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't, ever."

Holly shed a tear. She didn't want to this, she really didn't. But it was entirely nessecary.

"Artemis, I can't go on like this. Wondering when I will next see your face. Or if I will see it this month. Artemis..."

Artemis internally collapsed. "Holly, are you...?"

Holly was crying now. "Artemis, I think it would be best if we split up for now. Long-distance relationships never end well."

Artemis was crying too. "Yes...well...goodbye Holly."

The last the the fairy saw on the screen was the soaking face of the Mud Boy who's heart she had just broken.

 _(flashback ends)_

* * *

Holly woke up on a couch. That was the first thing she noticed. Then, through her half-closed eyes, she saw Trouble walking toward her.

"Hey, babe", she said drowsily. "What happened last night? Because I know I didn't fall asleep on this couch."

"I can explain, Holly. I had to bring you here to talk to you. Come with me." He held out his hand, and Holly took it. They walked to the balcony of Trouble's apartment and looked down at the city.

"Look, Holly. Isn't it beautiful?", he asked.

Holly nodded.

"In fact", Trouble continued, "the only way it could be more beautiful...is if it were ours."

Holly gasped. "Trouble, what are you saying?"

He shrugged. "I'm taking over Haven, and I'd like for you to be on my side."

Holly responded by slapping him as hard as she could across the face, knocking him to the ground, and ran. She ran all the way to the Foaly's lab/office without stopping. She burst through the door, panting. "Foaly...Trouble is...going to...take...over Haven. I...need...to leave."

Seeimg the shocked and angry look on her face, Foaly took her word, handing her a headset, a Neutrino 2000, and a set of Hummingbirds. He typed something on his computer, then turned to her. "Go. There's a magma flare in five minutes in the nearest chute. I've got you covered. You have clearance to go as fast as you need to, wherever you need to."

Holly nodded once, then bolted out the door, strapping on the wings as she ran.

* * *

Artemis was playing depressing emo music on his piano. Enough said.

* * *

Holly flew over Ireland, scanning for Dublin. Or rather, a certain house in Dublin, where she might be able to stay if she was lucky, and where she might be able to get a young genius on her side if she was very lucky. She hoped that particular genius wasn't mad at her.

* * *

 **Remember to review! If you're a guest, please leave a name so I can recognize you for reviewing.**


	3. 2: Return to Fowl Manor

**I am so dreadfully sorry that it took this long to get 5 reviews for the last chapter. 5 REVIEWS! Anyway, here it is. The second chapter.**

 **WARNING: PLOT TWIST AND CLIFFHANGER! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **I love cap lock.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl.**

* * *

As Holly flew, she suddenly experienced a wave of nausea. She had been getting nauseous a lot over the past month. She had also had food cravings. Mostly chocolate. She resolved to ask Artemis about this if he let her in.

* * *

Artemis was in his study when the doorbell rang.

"Butler, please get the door.", he called.

Butler checked the cameras. He smiled when he saw who the visitor was. "I think you'd better get it this time, Artemis. I'm, ah…busy."

Artemis sighed and got up to answer the door. He found a certain LEP captain panting her tongue off. "Holly", he said, surprised. "Please, come in."

Holly walked through the door and flopped down on the couch. "Artemis, this is not a normal visit. But before I explain, do you have any chocolate?"

"Ireland's finest.", the teenage boy replied, briefly walking into the kitchen and coming out with a bar of chocolate, which he handed to the elf. Holly wolfed down the entire thing in twenty seconds flat, then started on her story. Artemis sat beside her.

"Okay. You know how Trouble and I have been…seeing each other?", Holly asked. Artemis nodded. "Well, I found out today that he–he–" Holly suddenly started crying and buried her face in the Mud Boy's shoulder. Not knowing what to do, Artemis patted her back somewhat reassuringly. Holly sniffed and picked her head up. "I'm sorry. This has been a very stressful month. Anyway, he's been playing me this whole time. He told me today that he was going to take over Haven and–he–" Holly's tears returned. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this! All I'm asking for is a place to stay. That's it. I won't be too much trouble, I promise." Holly looked up at the boy, a pleading look in her eyes. "Please."

Artemis put a hand on her shoulder. "Of course you can. How could I say no to my best friend?" He smiled. "And you really need to work on your puppy face." Holly returned his smile. "I have something to ask you about. I've been getting really nauseous and craving chocolate a lot this month. Does that mean anything?"

The smile disappeared from the boy's face. "Yes, I think it might. Wait here." He left the room and returned about ten minutes later. "Holly, please follow me." Holly followed him to his study, where there was a bunch of machines arranged around a bed. Artemis motioned to said bed. "Please lay down." Holly did as she was told and lied still. Artemis arranged the machinery around her and sat at his desk, his fingers whizzing over his keyboard. About five minutes later, he turned his swivel chair to face her. He wore a grave, serious look on his face.

"Just as I suspected.", he said to her. "Don't scream, okay?"

Holly nodded suspiciously. "Okay?"

"I ran a few tests and… Holly, you're pregnant."

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGER! YES! (evil laugh) But review and I will update fast. As soon as I get 5 reviews for this chapter, I will update. But no reviews equals no updates. SO REVIEW! Please?**


	4. 3: An Unexpected Traitor

**I shall grant** OzymandiasMusic's **wish. Long chapter ahead!**

 **Thank you to my loyal followers. You know who you are. But some of you aren't reviewing. ( cough cough** Fangur **cough cough** LS505956 **cough cough** Xandarius **cough cough** kid65 **cough cough) Wow, sorry for that major coughing fit I just had. Anyway, I encourage you to follow the story so I don't have to keep emailing you when the next chapter is out.**

 **Oh, and Holly will be a little OOC because she is pregnant. She will have major mood swings and emotional moments–like the crying episode in chapter 2. So don't criticize too harshly on that subject.**

 **I shall start answering reviews here. So, here goes:**

 **jayjthebigmouth: Thank you. And yes, I am eeeevil. Keep reading!**

 **OzymandiasMusic: Thanks. And from now on, longer chapters.**

 **BossMan1a22: Who do you think it is? Because you're probably right. And thank you.**

 **Lady Nightsong: I'm glad you took the time to review. I'm working on the OOC thing, and yes, it is hard. Thanks for the advice, and please keep reviewing.**

 **TCDW(guest): Thank you. A lot of people knew what was going on when Holly mentioned her cravings.**

 **As always, need 5** **reviews.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Artemis Fowl, there would be a TV show, several movies, a talk show, and I wouldnt be sitting here writing fan fictions.**

* * *

 **Fowl Manor**

Holly sat straight up and promptly screamed.

"Artemis, is everything all right?", Butler asked, charging through the door, Sig Sauer in hand.

Artemis sighed and looked at the elf, who was shaking so hard parts of her went out of the visible spectrum for half a second. "Yes, Butler, everything's fine. Would you please exit this room?"

Butler reluctantly left, and that's when the screaming continued.

"THAT FROND DAMN PERVERTED BASTARD! HE DRUGGED ME AND RAPED ME! HE F***ING _**RAPED ME**_!"

Artemis hurriedly went over to the bed where she sat, moving machinery out of the way so he could look her in the eye. "Holly, calm down. He did not rape you, as the sperm that fertilized your egg was not one of his. It wasn't even placed there naturally."

Holly was breathing hard, and still shaking. "So, he injected another man's sperm into me. Who's?" She looked almost scared to hear the answer.

Artemis went back to his computer. "I can't tell you that."

Holly raised an eyebrow at him, one of his own signature gestures. "You can't or you won't?"

"I won't."

"D'ARVIT MUD BOY, YOU WILL TELL ME OR SO HELP ME FROND I WILL RIP YOUR DAMN THROAT OUT VERY SLOWLY AND LAUGH WHILE I WATCH YOU WRITHE IN PAIN!"

"Butler, bring up some chocolate, please."

Butler returned with the chocolate, and Artemis gently tore the wrapper open. He turned back to his computer for a moment–long enough to pour a good dose of liquid Benidril over the chocolate–then turned and handed it to Holly, who scarfed it down in a few seconds. "Thank you so much, Arty.", she said in between mouthfuls. The Benidril soon took affect, and in five minutes, Holly was out like a light. Artemis picked up the sleeping elf and carried her to a guest bedroom that Juliet had been getting ready for her this entire time.

* * *

"Artemis, she's waking up now.", Juliet called.

Artemis walked through the door. "Good. You are dismissed, Juliet."

Juliet nodded and left the room. Artemis knelt down beside the bed and put his hand on the elf's forehead, careful to avoid her ears. "Holly, wake up. We have important matters to discuss."

Holly slowly opened her eyes. "Like what?', she asked drowsily. "Like the details of your pregnancy that I am sure you are curious about. Unless you aren't in a very good mood, in which case I will leave you alone."

"No, no, it's okay. How long?" Holly sat up and attempted to get off the bed, but Artemis stopped her.

"Approximately one month and three days."

"Oh. Wonderful."

"Holly, this is not wonderful. This is very bad."

"And how is it bad that I will be carrying a living thing inside my body for eight more months and won't be able to fight against Trouble when he takes over Haven?", Holly asked sarcastically.

"Two, actually."

"Two what?"

"Two living things."

"WHAT?!"

"The egg split during the second week. Holly, you're going to have twins. That is, if you're okay with not fighting. If you would rather fight, I can arrange that."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"I'm not suggesting it, only bringing it up as a possibility if that's what you want to do."

Holly's only response to that was: "I'm not a murderer, Arty."

"Okay then. And Holly, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Ou–your children are hybrids."

Holly didn't even notice that Artemis had almost said something else.

"Hybrids. Okay. What's the other species?"

"Human. Because of this, you may be experiencing severe pain as the fetuses grow. This is due to the large size of the fetuses, and the fact that there's two. The room that you are in has an adjoining bathroom. In the cabinet are several painkillers, both human and fairy brands. You may use whatever you need to."

"Artemis?"

"Yes, Holly?"

"My suit is getting a little tight."

Artemis thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"I'm–gasp–back." Holly opened the door to find a panting Artemis collapsed on the floor, a full laundry basket in front of him. "Um, Artemis? What are you doing?"

Artemis gestured to the basket. "That heavy, despicable thing contains all of Juliet's old clothes. I did not search the contents, as I was too busy heaving the basket up the unforgiving stairs to give them to you. Juliet said you can keep whatever you like, though they may be too big for you."

Holly nodded and slid the "heavy" basket into the room, leaving Artemis to sit there and catch his breath (for another fifteen minutes).

"He's a traitor.", Holly muttered to herself as she rummaged through the basket. "An unexpected traitor. And soon enough, he will be a _headless_ unexpected traitor."

* * *

 **Underground cave, unknown location**

Trouble sighed as Lilli appeared in the cave.

"You know, Lilli, you can unshield before you're in the middle of the cave so you don't freak me out like that."

"I know", the blonde elf replied, "but where is the fun in that?" She had a high-pitched, cheery voice. Not at all threatening.

"No one can hear us, Lilli. You can cut the airhead act now."

"Okay, okay. Jeez." Her voice was now lower pitched and serious. She pulled a laptop out of her bag. "What do we have on the showoff?"

"She's aboveground now. Probably at her pet Mud Boy's house in Ireland."

"Traitor.", Lilli muttered.

"Yes. An unexpected traitor."

* * *

 **I don't have much to say here. Just review!**

 **Remember, five reviews for this chapter=the next chapter.**


	5. 4: Not a dream–a nightmare

**Sorry for the cliffhanger. I just couldn't help it. Mwahahahahaha!**

 **YAY! SUMMA VACATION! You'll be seeing a lot more of me now that school's out of the way. That is, if you review.**

 **I'm surprised no none has asked for Mulch yet (u no care bout r fav dwarf?), but he'll be coming in next chapter.**

 **Answers:**

 **Lady Nightsong: Of course I replied. And thank you for your help. To answer your question, yes, it will definitely complicate things, because they are human hybrids and so are bigger than normal elfin babies. Poor Holly. Why am I doing this to her? (evil chuckle)**

 **BossMan1a22: Thank you. And what do you mean, you 'half knew'?**

 **MrsMidnight: Thank you. I will not answer that question.**

 **Efox(guest): Thank you so much for the compliments. I'm sorry that I don't post often, but I need reviews and it's taking a while to get them.**

 **woozoo(guest): Thanks. Keep reading!**

 **Anyway, review!**

 **Disclaimer: Is my name Eoin Colfer? No? Didn't think so.**

* * *

 _"Ahhhh!", she panted. "Make it stop. Make it stop!"_

 _Artemis was at her bedside, holding her hand. "Shh, Holly,", he said gently. "It will be over soon. Hang on."_

 _"Holly, I need you to push!", the pixie nurse at the end of the hospital bed commanded. "Push, Holly!"_

 _It continued like this for a few more agonizing minutes, then it was over._

 _Holly was panting, gasping for breath. This had been very hard on her. But now it was over, and she finally got to meet her kids._

 _Artemis gasped. "A job well done, Holly. They are beautiful."_

 _The nurse smiled and lowered her arms, in which Holly's twins were wrapped in a blanket. The new mother was just about to gaze upon her children for the first time, when the window exploded. A shard of glass flew into the pixie's head, killing her instantly. Holly screamed in fright as the bloody form of her ex-boyfriend, Trouble Kelp, flew in through the window. Somehow she knew that the blood coating him from head to toe wasn't his. Somehow she knew that the blood dripping from his fingertips, from his forehead, from all over him was the blood of innocent fairies who had fought to defend their home, their loved ones, and their children. Fought to defend them from him. She screamed again, this time in pain and agony, as Trouble took up her newborn twins in his arms and casualy tossed them out the window._

 _Then he turned to Artemis. He shot the teen in the head with a human rifle. Holly screamed for the third time in as many minutes as some of Artemis's blood spurted onto her hands and arms._

 _Finally, Trouble turned to her. He traced her face with a finger, resting it on the tip of her left ear. She shuddered. Then he spoke. His voice was thick with fake adoration. "Holly, darling, it is because of your pretty face that I have saved you for last. And now, you will sincerely regret the day you slapped me in the face and ran from me like I was a monster. You will regret it for about half a second before you cease to exist." He spat out the last part and raised his hand in a mock salute. "Goodbye,_ Captain Short." _Then he raised the barrel of the rifle to the space between her large, mismatched eyes and pulled the trigger…_

* * *

 **Fowl Manor, June 1st**

Artemis was the only one who heard the scream. It was horrible, a bloodcurdling scream that made him want to crawl into a hole, cover his ears, and cry for days. That scream could only be the result of someone witnessing their absolute worst fear come to life before their eyes. At first Artemis rolled over to go back to sleep— Butler or Juliet would handle it— then he remembered that Butler was doing his midnight rounds outside, and Juliet was fast asleep on the other side of the manor. Neither of them would have heard the scream. Then he realized that the scream had come from the room right above his, which was currently housing the manor's only other occupant. Holly.

Artemis had never thought of himself as athletic, fast, or strong, but when he realized that his best friend was most likely in mortal danger, he jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt at a speed you'd never thought was possible (A/N: yes, Artemis Fowl does own sweatpants and T-shirts. Angeline bought him a closet full of them for Christmas when he was fourteen.), especially for a Fowl, and sprinted out the door, surprised at the speed he'd reached. _Butler would be proud,_ he thought. He ran up the stairs and burst through the door of Holly's room. "Holly!", he gasped, rushing to the bed where the elf sat, shaking. "A–Art–ty", she whimpered. Her tiny frame was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, and the look on her face was enough to convince a man like Butler that she had seen something worth being afraid of.

Artemis climbed onto the bed and sat beside her, putting an arm around her delicate shoulders. She didn't pull away, but snuggled closer and put her head on his chest. He looked at her and realized her face was covered in tears. "Holly", he whispered, "what happened? Why did you scream?"

Holly whimpered again before speaking. "It was a dream. No, not a dream— a nightmare. I was giving birth and you were there and all of a sudden, Trouble crashed through the window and killed the nurse, then the twins, then you, then he shot me…" Holly started sobbing again, and Artemis patted her back in an effort to calm her down. "Shh, it's over now. Forget about it. It's over."

Holly nodded. Artemis moved to get up, but she put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. "Stay." Artemis nodded and laid down, with Holly resting her head on his chest. Soon enough, they were both asleep, and Holly had no more nightmares that night.

* * *

Butler returned from his midnight rounds and went to Artemis's bedroom on the second floor to see if he was still awake. Terror coursed through his veins when he saw that the bed was empty, the white comforter hanging halfway off of the bed, and the dresser drawers open. His initial thought was that the teenaged genius and his elfin friend had escaped and went on some trouble making adventure. He hurried to the third floor to check on Holly, and sighed with relief as he spotted his principal and the elf asleep peacefully in the bed. He rolled his eyes and closed the door. If anyone could make an interspecies relationship work, it was these two. _They sure are moving things along quickly,_ he thought, _but it would be cruel to disturb them._ Then, as a random afterthought, _I wonder if Artemis has tested out that new magic of his._

* * *

 **Underground cave, unknown location**

"Commander Kelp, we have eyes on the Mud Whelp." The sprite speaking snickered at the rhyme.

Trouble paid no attention to the bad attempt at a joke. "Show us."

The screen of Lilli's computer changed to a live video feed on Fowl Manor. Or rather, certain rooms in Fowl Manor.

The screen showed a dark room with an unmade bed and open drawers that, by the looks of it, had been recently rummaged through. It had a desk with an open laptop sitting on it. Fowl's room. No Fowl.

"Switch to Short's room."

The screen switched to another dark room, but this time, there were people in the bed. Fowl was sound asleep with an arm wrapped around Holly's shoulder. The elfin captain was resting her head on the Mud Whelp's chest.

"D'Arvit!", Trouble muttered.

"Like I said", Lilli added, "she's a traitor."

Trouble leaned down and put his hands on her shoulders. She responded by gently placing her right hand on his.

"Don't worry, Trubs.", she said soothingly to the seething elf. "We'll make the traitor and her pet Mud Whelp wish they were never born."

"Yes we will", he agreed. "Nickson."

"Yes, Commander?", the sprite asked through the radio. Under the Earth, radios weren't even in museums, they were so old. Trouble had smuggled a set from a police station outside of Dublin. Trouble only used radios for one reason. Radios couldn't be tracked.

"Initiate Step One."

He sensed hesitation from Corporal Nickson. "S-s-step One, Commander?"

"Yes, Corporal.", growled the commander. "Step One, or you are fired."

The corporal knew that being fired meant being erased from existence, so he quickly agreed to initiate Step One.

If you were in that cave, and it was dead quiet, and you listened really hard and had the hearing abilities of a snow leopard, you would have sworn that you heard a bomb going off somewhere in the distance.

* * *

 **GASP! So many questions!**

 **Arty + Holly?**

 **LILLI + TRUBS?**

 **EXPLOSION?!**

 **Mulch + Frond-knows-what food? ( oh wait he hasn't even shown up yet. Oh well.)**

 **2 reviews + 3 reviews = next chapter!**


	6. 5: Magical News(and a dwarf in a tree)

**There is a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic quote in there. I will subtract one review from the requirement for the next chapter for every person who can identify the quote, the pony who said it, and the pony they were talking to. (Hint: they were on a camping trip)**

 **Answers:**

 **BossMan1a22: Oh, of course. Artemis had _something_ to do with it… And where, exactly does it say that Artemis sleeps with his curtains open?**

 **AFwannabe: Well, thank you. And I'm fine with extra punctuation.**

 **jayjthebigmouth: No, it did not hit Fowl Manor. You gave me a good idea though… MWAHAHAHA!**

 **hrhowling: Thanks. Don't worry, I'm not giving this up yet.**

 **drgraves129: Thank you. As long as you keep reviewing, I will keep updating.**

 **Wow. You guys didn't even act excited when I said Mulch was coming in. Poor Mulch. Anyway, here he is. Mulch. As promised!**

 **Please review. Please!**

 **Disclaimer: I feel like a broken record.**

* * *

 **Fowl Manor, June 2nd**

Holly awoke to the blinding glare of the sun through the third-story window. Beneath her, Artemis shifted slightly. She moaned and buried her face in the Mud Boy's chest in an attempt to go back to sleep. That's when the pounding started.

Holly opened her eyes sleepily and looked toward the window. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Nope, she wasn't hallucinating. There was actually a hairy dwarf in the tree beside the house, cop-knocking on the window and chewing on something that Holly would rather not know the identity of.

"Hey, lovebirds!", he shouted through a mouthful of Frond-knows-what. "Hey! Lemme in!"

Artemis opened his eyes and was just as surprised as Holly at the sight that greeted him. "How did you get up there?"

"If I went through the details of how I ended up here, we would be here all day. And I do _not_ want to be up here all day."

Holly grinned. "Is the tough dwarf theif scared of heights?"

He banged on the window again. "That is not something you need to know. What you need to know is that I am very hungry and this branch feels like it's about to break."

Artemis shrugged. "You shouldn't have gotten up there to begin with."

Mulch scowled at him. "Come on, lemme in."

"Why don't you come through the front door like a normal person?"

"Butler wouldn't let me. He said he had to have authorization from you or somethin' like that, and here you are sleeping, _not_ giving him authorization. With an _elf,_ no less. Artemis, I thought you knew better. And Holly, I am very disappointed in you."

At this remark, Holly blushed and glared at him, and Artemis angrily waved a hand at the window. Blue sparks flew out and the blinds snapped shut. They could still here Mulch's muffled voice protesting from the tree, but they didn't care. Neither of them felt like getting up, and they wouldn't admit it until years later, but they were both comfortable with this position.

Holly's mouth formed a surprised 'o' as her sleepy mind registered what had just happened.

"Artemis…did you…what just…how the…what did you just do?"

Artemis yawned. "I'll explain later, Holly. I promise." After he said that, he fell back to sleep almost immediately. Holly wasn't really tired, but she didn't want to move, so she just lay there, listening to Artemis's heartbeat and feeling his chest rise and fall rhythmically in time with his breathing.

* * *

"Holly, it's breakfast time.", Butler shouted through the door.

"Coming, Butler. I'll be right there."

Artemis had gone down to his room to change about ten minutes before, and Holly had been chatting with, and more-or-less teasing, Mulch.

She stepped into the bathroom, changed, and said "Bye, Mulch. Gotta go down to breakfast.", which got her a scowl and some rude gestures in her direction as a response. She ran into Artemis halfway down and walked with him the rest of the way to the dining room. As she sat down beside Artemis, she noticed that the table was unusually empty.

"Artemis, where are your brothers? And your parents?"

"My parents are at a business conference in Florida. They will be coming home on the 25th. And my brothers are at my aunt's house in Rathmines. My parents will pick them up on their way here when they come back."

Holly nodded as Butler set a plate in the middle of the table, then walked off, burdened with the dreaded task of waking his sister. Holly looked at the white plate, which had a pile of pancakes on it comparable to Mt. Everest. Holly's mouth watered at the sight of it.

Butler returned with his sister and a small bruise on his chin and set plates, forks, and syrup on the table, then sat on Artemis's other side. Juliet sat across from Holly and scanned the table.

"Dom, where's the butter? You didn't put butter out."

The man mountain motioned to the syrup. "It's butter-flavored syrup."

Juliet nodded, and breakfast continued in silence, other than Holly occasionally asking Artemis if he was done.

* * *

"Artemis, are you done yet?"

The teenager sighed. "The last thousand times you asked that, the answer was no. This time, it's actually yes."

Holly got up and literally pulled Artemis out of the chair by his hand. "Come on!", she said. She pulled him up the stairs, shoved him into his room, and slammed the door shut. She sat on the edge of the bed and turned toward Artemis. "Speak", she commanded.

Artemis put on a look of fake confusion. "Speak about what?"

Holly raised an eyebrow, a look she had learned from years of Artemis's company. "You know good 'n well what. This morning."

Artemis smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Holly had never, ever seen that look on him, nor had she ever expected to. "Yes, this morning. About that…"

"Go on."

The look she gave him was more than enough to make the young genius tell her everything. "When I died, my soul was able to see things that my body could not. Opal's body had magic on it, and I could see it. I disposed of the remaining black magic, and absorbed the little regular magic that was left. I completed the Ritual the first chance I got, and the magic that resulted is…powerful."

Holly sighed and rolled her eyes. " _Obviously_ it's powerful. What I want to know is, _why_?"

Artemis let a small smile tug at his lips. "It's simple really. Opal's magic was already very strong due to her intellect. When combined with _my_ intellect, the magic got stronger, allowing me to move objects using telekinesis. I can also levitate, and possibly read your mind, though for your sake I won't. And of course, I can do all the things the average fairy can do, such as heal, _mesmerize_ , and shield. But these things are escalated to very high levels. I can heal mortal injuries without drastically changing the person, I can _mesmerize_ the strongest of minds, and not even a Butler could pick out a shimmer in the air should I decide to shield. Unfortunately, casting difficult spells, such as the one this morning, takes and will take considerable effort until I get used to it."

"Wow." Holly looked at him, her big eyes even bigger, full of surprise and worry. "Artemis, are you sure you're able to handle that kind of power? _Without_ trying to take over the world or something like that?"

He let the smile grow bigger. "Of course I can, Holly. If I was average, I would be insulted at your distrust of me. I am no longer the depressed, determined twelve-year-old boy you, ah _…first met._ "

Holly rolled her eyes again and smiled back. "Of course. How could I ever _not_ trust you? Because you've been _so nice_ to me ever since we first met, and you _never_ lie to me."

"No need to be sarcastic, Holly."

"Oh, please. Look who's talking."

Holly got off the bed and hugged the surprised boy. "Don't worry, Artemis. I trust you completely. No sarcasm this time."

She looked into his eyes and realized for the first time since he was revived that his eyes mirrored hers. "Artemis, your eyes. They don't match."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. _D'Arvit,_ Holly thought. _He's so damn hot when he does that. D'Arvit, don't think like that!_ "Of course they don't. We switched when we went back in time, remember?"

"Yes, but your clone had two blue eyes."

Artemis smiles at her, a genuine, friendly smile. Another look she has never expected to see on him. "I used my magic to change the color of my left iris to match yours almost exactly. I no longer have an actual part of you, but this is as close as I can get."

The words hung in the air between them. After a few minutes, Holly broke the silence.

"Um, Artemis?"

"Yes, Holly?"

"Is Mulch still in the tree?"

Artemis chuckled. "Yes, I think he is. You are not going to be able to sleep tonight, and the other guest bedrooms aren't ready…" He thought for a moment, and soon his face lit up with an idea. "You can stay in my room, if you want. I'll sleep on the couch. Just for tonight.", he added as Holly began to protest.

* * *

 **Haven**

"Foaly, what the #$%& happened?!"

Foaly winced at the loud volume of the voice in his ear, then at the damage done to the city.

"Well, Commander Teagan, I'd say that a bomb went off."

If Trouble was nothing like the late Commander Root, Derrick Teagan was everything like him. He was quick to anger and usually took it out on the eardrums of whoever was closest to him. Sadly, in this situation, those eardrums happened to belong to Foaly.

"I'M NOT STUPID, CENTAUR! HOW DID THE D'ARVITTING BOMB GET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAMN CITY IN THE #$%&ING FIRST PLACE?!"

"Well, Commander, I'd say that someone put it there."

"WHO, FROND DAMMIT?! WHO?!"

A nearby officer tried to calm the commander down while Foaly and his team of techies surveyed the damage. Most of the blast had been absorbed by Police Plaza. Sadly, that meant that the LEP building was completely demolished. Only the very top floor, which was bolted to the roof, remained. The bomb had also crushed a few nearby shops and houses. It would take at least a year to rebuild everything, and the lives that had been taken were too many to count. Foaly looked around and sighed in relief as he realized that the blast hadn't come close to his and Caballine's house. In all this chaos, it momentarily calmed Foaly to know that, for the moment, his wife was safe. But a sinking feeling in the back of his head told him that this wouldn't be the last attack.

Teagan turned to Foaly again. "Where is Commander Kelp? And _where_ is Captain Short?"

Foaly gulped. "May I talk to you in private, Commander?"

* * *

"You're telling me that you let our best fairy to the surface because she told you her boyfriend dumped her?!"

"No, I'm telling you that I let our best fairy to the surface because she told me her boyfriend is going to take over Haven."

Teagan looked at him, his face the very definition of fury. "SO YOU TOOK HER WORD FOR IT AND LET HER TO THE SURFACE WITHOUT PERMISSION?! SHE'S PRETTY DAMN CLOSE TO THE FOWL FAMILY, WHAT IF SHE USED THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO GO VISIT?!"

The centaur shook his head. "You should've seen the look on her face."

"Oh, because you are a great face reader, aren't you, centaur?"

"You don't need to be a great face reader to read the look on her face. It was pure rage mixed with terror."

Teagan rolled his eyes and clenched his teeth, speaking in a low, dangerous voice. "I don't care what her pretty face looked like, centaur. Just _find_ _me that elf."_

* * *

 **Underground, unknown location**

"Step One initiated, Commander."

"Good, Nickson. You may just be promoted in the near future."

The sprite chuckled nervously. If he wasn't promoted in the near future, he would be too dead to receive the promotion. _Well, that's what comes from following the "bad" side. The things people will do to prove they're right._

"Stand by, Corporal Nickson, and be ready to initiate Step Two."

* * *

 **: ) Thanks for reading. Need 5 reviews before next chapter. Unless you follow criteria at top of chapter.**


	7. 6: Diaries and Dialogue

**The quote was "The last thousand times you asked that, the answer was no. This time, it's actually yes." said by the earth pony Applejack to the unicorn Rarity.**

 **The lines have been disappearing in the stories, so I'm using *******TUT******* as a breaker or whatever it's called.**

 **OMG, so sorry for the aggravating shortness of this chapter! I'm leaving tomorrow for Orlando and staying there for a week with my Parliamentary Procedure team for state convention and I just _had_ to get a chapter up before I go.**

 **Answers:**

 **jayjthebigmouth: Sorry, that's not it. Here's a Kit Kat for trying, though. *hands Kit Kat* And yes, several have. I was kidding about the idea, though. I mean, _you_ didn't give it to me…I already had it…**

 **BossMan1a22: Um…okay.**

 **drgraves129: Thanks. I thought you guys would enjoy Mulch in a tree.**

 **shaadiaThePrincessOfWeird: Thank you so much! I was worried that that sounded a little OOC, but I'm glad to see that you liked it.**

 **fonkie(guest): Thank you.**

 *********TUT*********

 **Fowl Manor, June 5th**

 **Holly's diary entry:**

 _By the way, to the person who is reading this right now, this is_ not a diary. _It's a record book. I am just going to write whatever I feel like whenever I feel like. This is my first time being pregnant, and it may never happen again, so I feel like I should record my thoughts and feelings during this time to maybe share with my own daughter some day. I have been staying at Fowl Manor for five days. Artemis is the only Fowl at the mansion right now. The twins and his parents will be arriving on the twenty-fifth. Ow, the babies are kicking. Hard. Wait, the babies are kicking! They shouldn't be able to kick that hard at, what, five weeks. I better talk to Artemis about this._

 _Artemis has no explanation. NO EXPLANATION! Oh Frond, what the hell is happening to me? Are my babies gonna die? Am_ I _gonna die? Oh Frond, I'm having a panic attack. Panic attack! It's okay, Holly. Breathe. Just breathe. I feel like killing someone. Frond dammit, Artemis heard me. If he knocks on that damn door one more time…_

 _Butler yelled at me for punching Artemis. I mean, come on, who can blame me? He was being super annoying and I am not in the mood to be super annoyed. Yes, I apologized, and yes, I healed him. Not that he needed it, what with his all-powerful magic and all that shit. D'Arvit, they're kicking again. Ow, you stupid things! Stop torturing your mama! Okay, I'm going to go get a painkiller before I hurt myself._

 _Foaly called today and asked what's up. I told him what happened and that I would be staying here for a while. He sounded a little suspicious, as if he thought I were carrying Artemis' children. *mimes throwing up* Who does he think I am? Turnball Root?_

*******TUT*******

 **Artemis' diary entry:**

 _June 15,_

 _Holly and I went to visit Mulch again today. He finally got himself down from the tree. It was very funny to watch. At first he tried to eat the tree, but he didn't like the taste of the bark. Then he considered jumping down. He thought about it for about fifteen minutes, although you wouldn't have known it by looking at him, because he was screaming curses at Holly and myself the whole time. The only reason I know he was thinking about it is that he said "Okay, I've thought about it. I'm jumping." And he jumped. It wasn't a very graceful jump. Rather, he looked like a bird with a broken wing trying to fly. And he did break his left arm. Holly punished him for spying on us by not healing him, which was a very bad punishment, because it was a compound fracture¹. He almost cried. She finally gave in and healed him, but then he noticed her large midsection and said something along the lines of "Wow. You two were_ busy _in that bed, weren't you?" and she punched him. She did not heal the cut and bruise that he received from the punch._

 _Holly's babies are kicking. What does that mean? I have some theories. Maybe the fact that they're hybrids means that they grow quicker. Or maybe the magic…no, never mind._

 _Holly punched me. Again. In the face this time. Holly has been punching people a lot lately. I think I'd better do my best to stay out of her way._

 _I tested my magic more. I can teleport. For lack of a better word, awesome._

*******TUT*******

Foaly was playing a Mud Man computer game when he heard a knock at the door of the Ops Booth. Well, it was more like a series of very hard bangs.

Foaly closed the game, pulled up a random document on the screen, and checked the camera, though he already knew who it was. He buzzed the door open, letting the Commander in.

"So, Commander," , he began tentatively, "how's cleanup going?"

Teagan ignored the question. "Have you found the captain?"

"Yes, Commander, but–"

"But what? Where is she?"

Foaly snorted at the interruption. "She is at Fowl Manor, and appears to be staying there for a while. And the 'but' is…well…Holly's pregnant, sir, and she won't be able to come down and help."

Teagan's face turned red. "So, our _best_ officer _just so happened_ to take a _nine month_ vacation when our _second best_ officer decides to take over Haven. Great, just D'Arvittin' _great."_

Foaly nodded. "Yup. Our resident badass is having a baby. And unintentionally bailing on us. D'Arvit."

*******TUT*******

¹compound fracture: a bone fracture in which a piece of the bone cuts the skin and sticks out; very painful.

 **Again, I'm sorry for the short shortness of this chapter. The next fee chapters will be longer, although they will probably still be diary entries and stuff in Haven. As always, please review! Remember, 5 is the lucky review number. _Five, five, stay alive._**


	8. 7: A Visit Belowground

**Thank you to all who patiently waited for me during that long week at Orlando. *dodges rotten tomato and ice-cream cone* Hey, whoever threw that, don't waste ice-cream on me! Anyway, my team and I got fourth place in the state! So, yeah, it was fun, but I'm back to writing now, so you can go ahead and cheer now. *dodges metal chair and dictionary* Okay, that was uncalled for! Anyway, the next few chapters will be kind of boring and actionless. I just need you to wait until the story gets to October 29, and then there'll be action! *dodges another dictionary while walking off stage* Jeez. Haters gonna hate.**

 **My little sister was watching _Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks_ while I was writing the second part of this chapter, and one quote appealed to me. One review off the next chapter for everyone who can tell me what the quote is. (Hint: it's in here somewhere)**

 **Answers:**

 **jayjthebigmouth: Thanks. Finally, someone who actually _cares_ about Mulch! You are one of two people who have written a review with his name in it so far.**

 **OzymandiasMusic: Thank you. I was writing and randomly thought of that quote, so I used it! I'm glad you like the length of the chapters, I'll try to keep writing them this long.**

 **Deen393(guest): Thanks. BTW, wish granted!**

 **Rob165449: I'm going to assume that you are one person (guest and registered) I'm glad you registered because of me. PM me if you decide to write a fanfic. Teagan was appointed Commander after Trouble ran off, so he's still getting used to it. He's supposed to be the spitting image of Root so you get attached to him and cry when I kill him off later. Hehehe, JK! Or am I …**

 **drgraves129: Thx. Don't worry, I won't give up…yet…**

 **AFwannabe: Finally, the penny drops. JK. Yes, it has. Find out why or how before the big reveal and you get a virtual KitKat. I hope you like KitKats. Also, I will put a quote of your choice from a movie/TV series/book in one of the chapters; it depends when you find out. P.S.: That applies to everyone. Everyone who read that particular review.**

 **fonkie(guest): Thank you. Don't get your hair in a twist, Artemis is not gonna go grazy. Hehe.**

 **fairytailasaurus: Mwahahahahaha! Look, continuing. Keep reading!**

 **AI(guest(I hope I got that right)): Um, hehe. *nervous laugh* Yeah, about that… WHY WOULD I KILL HOLLY? I MEAN, SHE'S ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS! I MEAN, DUH! hehe…**

*******TUT*******

 **Fowl Manor, August 17**

 **Holly's diary entry:**

 _Well, this has been fun. This has been very fun. FROND DAMMIT I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA DIE! This hurts really bad. I'm only 4 months pregnant but I feel like I'm 7 months pregnant. Damn, this hurts. I asked Artemis about it, but all he said was "I'm sorry Holly but I honestly don't know." Honestly my ass! Arty knows EVERYTHING, and that's what's causing me to be terrified. I'm scared I'm gonna die, I'm scared the babies are gonna die, I'm scared I'll die keeping a lot of things secret from everyone else. Before I die, I want Foaly to know that he is the best friend anyone could have and I wouldn't be the first female captain in Recon without him. I want Juliet to know that even if I don't prefer her makeovers, she does a helluva job and one day I think she could get paid a fair amount to do people's hair and makeup professionally. I want Butler to know that I healed him that very first day because I saw potential in him and believed that, given a second chance, he could convince Artemis to use that gigantic brain of his for good instead of criminal. I want Mulch to know that I appreciate his thieving abilities, because if he wasn't as good of a theif as he is, Artemis and I wouldn't be here today. I want Artemis to know that he has done a good job at changing for the better, and that I admire the new him. I want him to know that I don't regret him kidnapping me that first day, because we never would have met, and I want him to know that I love him. There. I said/wrote it. I love the damn Mud Boy, and I don't want him to read it here. I want to tell him myself. Maybe when things calm down, though._

*******TUT*******

 **Artemis' diary entry:**

 _Holly says I need to come up with a plan to stop Trouble, but I know nothing, and information is key, so today Butler and I are going to Haven to check things out. I haven't told Holly, though, because I know she'll try and stop me, then freak and worry about me until I come back. I wonder if she knows I am seriously worried about her. Her children are growing at an alarming rate, and I'm scared they are going to try to come out before they're fully developed, or before she's ready. I'm also scared that they will be trapped in her womb or seriously injure her. They are human hybrids, and elfin wombs are not meant to handle babies that big. Plus, there are two of them. I am praying to every god I know of to protect her, because life would be extremely difficult without her. I have a hypothesis, though I haven't told her about it. She doesn't need to know right now, but she might once they are born if the family resemblance is strong enough. I think it's the magic. I'm almost positive, though I don't know why it would cause them to grow like that._

 _Speaking of magic, I tested mine to what I think is its full potential last night. I don't know if anyone noticed, but, while levitating about three to four feet off the ground, I picked up the house using telekinesis and held it a few feet off the ground for twenty seconds before putting it back in its place. I read Juliet's mind while she was out tending Mother's garden, which is an acre away. I didn't want to purposely injure myself to test my healing abilities, but I saw a half-dead rabbit from the window and projected my magic toward it, healing it, so it seems I can heal things without touching them. Finally, I tested my teleportation abilities by teleporting right outside the house and back in my room. I then imagined the nearest airport restroom, channeled my magic into the image, and successfully teleported there and back. Before I finally went to sleep, I imagined the Fission Chips building—Spiro's company's building—and teleported there and back. It seems I can go all the way to America. I haven't tried China yet, but I will soon. Although I feel like there are some things I still don't know about my newfound powers. Butler is calling me. It is time to go to Haven._

*******TUT*******

 **Haven**

Foaly was pacing. Not because he was mad, not because he was nervous, not because he was excited. Foaly was pacing because he was bored. He glanced at the bottom right corner of the computer screen. The time was 8:55. _Good,_ he thought, _Mud Boy'll be here in five minutes. Surly he'll disagree with me on_ something. _D'Arvit, I need an argument._

He paced for another five minutes before he heard the knock. When he did, he almost jumped in the air and whooped with joy.

Almost.

Instead, like a civilized fairy, he checked the camera and buzzed his friends in. His friends and his commander.

"Commander, what are you doing here?"

Teagan strutted in like he owned the place and settled down in one of the armchairs. "I'm here to make sure Fowl doesn't try any funny business. The Council doesn't exactly trust him as much as you do, and frankly, neither do I. Speaking of the Council, they may or may not send someone over here anyway."

Artemis stepped in and sat on the edge of Foaly's desk. "Long time, no see, centaur. How are you?"

"Fine, I'm fine.", Foaly answered as an idea formed in his mind. He was barely able to suppress the smirk that threatened to reveal itself. "So Fowl, I've heard about your little _plan,_ and it's not going to work."

Artemis' small grin immediately turned into a scowl. "Yes it will. Don't doubt me…Wait, how did you know? Holly must have told you. Oh well, you would have found out sooner or later."

Foaly's smirk grew bigger. "Oh, no, she didn't tell me. I have my sources. Trust me, it's _not_ going to happen."

At this point, Councilwoman Rosenblade, a pretty pixie with straight brunette hair and lime green eyes, and the only female member of the Council, walked in, as Foaly had forgotten to lock the door. She sat down in an armchair next to Teagan's before speaking. "What are they arguing about?"

Teagan rolled his eyes. "Absolutely no clue."

"Yes it will!", the teenager countered. "We have everything worked out, and—"

"Mud Boy, stop kidding yourself. It'll never happen. She wouldn't let it happen."

Confusion replaced the scowl. "Why wouldn't she? She's the one who suggested it."

This time it was Foaly's turn to be confused. "But why would she suggest something like that?", he muttered quietly. Unfortunately for him, it was just loud enough for Artemis to hear.

"Maybe because she wanted it but didn't know how she would do it?"

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"It makes perfect sense!"

"Does not!"

"Yes it _does!"_

"Does _not!"_

At this point they were yelling over each other, each trying to get his point across to the other.

"STOP!", Councilwoman Rosenblade shouted.

"You'll have to excuse them. They're idiots.", Teagan started after the noise had died down. Artemis opened his mouth to speak and Foaly whinnied in protest, but one sharp glare from Rosenblade shut them both up.

"Okay. Now, what is so important that you two wasted Commander Teagan's and my time 'discussing' it? What were you arguing about?"

Human and centaur started at the same time before realizing the difference in their arguments.

"His relationship with Captain Shor–"

"A new prototype refrigerat–"

They glanced at each other before it started up agsin.

"How could you _ever_ think we–"

"Well, I'm sorry, it sure sounded like it to me!"

"You are such a _pervert!"_

"You put the image there, Mud–"

"STOP!", Rosenblade yelled for the second time in as many minutes.

"Okay, just forget it for now. What we need to focus on is finding and stopping a runaway fairy with his heart set on ruling Haven, as we can deduce from this video–"

 **Meanwhile…**

*******TUT*******

 **Underground, unknown location**

Trouble paced the small cave that one of his dwarf friends had hollowed out for him, then covered in spit. Sturdy, and gave the place a nice, eerie look. Speaking of dwarf friends…

"Grindol." Trouble said into the radio.

After a moment, a gruff voice answered. "Yeah, Trubs?"

Grindol Finnsson was a close friend of Trouble's, and the only other person, besides his brother, that was allowed to call him Trubs. The dwarf had proven loyal time and time again, and so had been promised a share of the city when Trouble succeeded.

"Have you placed the bombs?"

"Yeah. Jus' got back."

"Already?"

"Yeah."

"You're sure you put _all of_ _them_ in the _exact locations_ I told you to put them in?"

"Yes, Trubs, fer Frond's sake, I'm sure. If I wasn't, I would be out there 'n not sittin' 'round in here. Yer actin' as paranoid as that centaur fella they got at the LEP."

Trouble sighed. Grindol was right. Next thing you knew he'd be stacking tin foil hats on his head.

"Okay. Just making sure. Tell Nickson to initiate steps Two and Three."

"At the same time?"

"Yes."

"Got it."

Trouble sighed again and settled back in his chair as Lilli came in from another room.

"Trouble, I have good news."

He looked at her. "Well, don't just stand there. Tell me!"

Lilli smiled. "You might not believe this, Trouble, but Fowl is in Haven."


	9. 8:I'm Here For You, Forever And Always…

**OK, guys, SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO sorry for the longlonglonglong wait. I didn't know what to do next. Well, here it is. Another chapter. Finally. As a peace offering, I have made the review requirement 0. So even though there's only 3 reviews, you still get the chapter.**

 **Answers:**

 **BossMan1a22: Well, not totally. But yeah…in a way, he is screwed.**

 **Discordant Night: Correct. Thx.**

 **fairytailasaurus: Yup. Doing it right now.**

*******TUT*******

 **August 17**

"Okay, just forget it for now. What we need to focus on is finding and stopping a runaway fairy with his heart set on ruling Haven, as we can deduce from this video–"

 _BOOM!_ An earth-shattering roar resonated through the Ops Booth, and Butler, who was kneeling in the open doorway, fell to the ground. "Butler!" Artemis shouted. Teagan and Rosenblade dragged him in as Foaly pounded on the "button" that closed the door and blacked out the windows. After a few minutes, Foaly lightened the windows, and they looked outside. Rosenblade gasped, and for the third time since he was three, Artemis was speechless. From their view inside the Ops Booth, they couldn't see a building that was still standing. Countless fairies searched through the rubble, looking for possessions lost in the explosion or relatives who were inside during the explosion. More were roaming the streets, calling out for family and friends, and still more had died in the massive explosion. Rosenblade walked outside and saw that the Ops Booth _was_ the only structure left standing. Teagan looked at Foaly, and they came to the same conclusion. Foaly's eyes widened, but Teagan spoke first.

"Fowl, Trouble just demolished Haven. Which means there's a possibility that he'll go after Fowl Manor next. Which means we've gotta get you home."

Artemis nodded, too shocked to speak, and knelt over his bodyguard, looking for a pulse. He found it. After making sure Butler was alive, he turned to the three fairies. "Yes, perhaps. Foaly, are the shuttles still running?"

Foaly clicked a few keys on the keyboard. "Yep. They're working just fine."

Rosenblade looked at Butler, then at the rest of them. "How in Frond's name are we gonna get _him_ to the shuttle?"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it." Artemis answered. Then, he picked up the man mountain and hoisted him over his shoulder. Or so it seemed. In reality, he was using magic to lift Butler, but the fairies didn't need to know that. They gaped at him as he carried Butler out the door. "Foaly", he called, turning back, "what chute is closest to the Manor?"

"E1", came the reply. Teagan stood to escort the two humans back to the surface as Rosenblade left to count casualties and assist any way she could. Foaly followed her out and drove to his house to check on Caballine.

*******TUT*******

Holly looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. 9:15. She groaned and got out of bed, knowing that by now, breakfast was ready and she might miss it if she didn't get up now.

So she took a shower and got dressed. Before she left it for breakfast, she took a moment to admire her beautiful room for the umpteenth time. _Artemis really does know me better than I thought._ The carpet was soft, but not too fluffy, and a beautiful forest green, her favorite color. The bedsheets and comforter of the dark brown wooden bed were the same color, which the white pillows complemented nicely. The walls and ceiling were a deep twilight blue, making the room look like an outside field at twilight. There was a large window on the wall opposite the door, and the bed was in that corner, a nightstand made of the same wood as the bed frame sitting beside it. On the nightstand was a red lamp about a foot tall. In each of the corners by the door, there was a beige faux leather armchair. Holly sighed. This was her dream room. She smiled and trudged down the stairs for breakfast.

Juliet greeted her from the kitchen as the smell of pancakes and bacon wafted into the dining room. Angeline was already at the table. "Hi, Holly." She addressed.

"Hi, Mrs. Fowl." Holly smiled.

"For the last time, Holly, call me Angeline."

"Yes ma'am, Angeline."

Angeline grinned. "Good. Are you feeling okay?"

Holly rubbed her bulging midsection and nodded. The day the Fowls had come back, Artemis had explained the situation to them and asked them to keep an eye on her.

At that moment, Juliet walked in. "Pancakes!" She said cheerily. "Pancakes, indeed." Replied Artemis Senior, eyeing the foot-tall stack of pancakes on the plate as he strolled in from the family room. "Pancakes for today and pancakes for the rest of the month."

The girl set the plate on the table and left to get the bacon. Holly winced as one of her twins turned inside of her, but that was the extent of it. She could already tell, today was going to be a good day.

Holly looked around as she realized someone was missing. "Juliet, where's Butler? He's usually up by now."

"Oh, he and Artemis went on an errand earlier this morning." Juliet answered, setting the tray of bacon on the table.

Holly noticed she hid her face, and was immediately suspicious. "Where did they go?"

Juliet kept her face out of the elf's view as she responded. "They went to Haven." She mumbled.

Holly jumped up from the table. "I'm not very hungry anyway." She called as she raced up the stairs. She got to her room and closed the door before pressing the "call" button on her communicator. He answered on the first ring.

"Artemis, are you okay? I heard about the bombing a couple months ago. How's Foaly? Are he and Caballine doing okay? Have they got Police Plaza rebui-"

"Holly", Artemis gasped, "I am fine, Foaly is fine, but the rest of Haven is not. Are you okay? Oh thank Frond, you sound okay."

Holly's eyes widened. "W-what happened?" She was almost too afraid to ask.

"The first bomb didn't go so well. So Trouble tried again. With more bombs. And he succeeded. The Ops Booth was the only structure I saw that was still standing. Luckily, I was inside it, and if not for Butler's position at the time, Foaly, Commander Teagan, Councilwoman Rosenblade, and I would probably be dead. The door was open, and Butler was kneeling in the doorway."

The elf gasped. "Oh, Frond, is he alright? Is he alive?"

Holly hears a sigh from the other end. "Alive, yes, but unconscious."

Holly nodded, even though she knew Artemis couldn't see her. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. "So, how are you? Are you feeling okay?"

Holly nodded again. "Yes, I'm feeling fine. One of them turned and it hurt a little, but that's all so far."

"Good. We're almost to the surface. I'll see you in twenty minutes."

"Okay. Bye, Artemis."

"Goodbye, Holly."

"Oh, and Artemis?"

"Yes, Holly?"

"Is there something you're not telling me? About my pregnancy?"

"Holly, why would I lie to you about your own pregnancy?"

"I have my suspicions. Artemis, whether it's involving me or not, I'm here for you, forever and always, through life and death. You can tell me anything."

"I know, Holly. Trust me, I know."

*******TUT*******

 **Underground, unknown location**

"Do you want me to do Step 5?"

"No. If Lilli's estimations are correct, October 29 is the big day. We will wait until then."

"Yessir, Commander Kelp."

*******TUT*******

 **So, whadja think? Again, sorry for the long wait. As a peace offering, I'm putting action into the next chapter. Lots of it.**


	10. 9: …Through Life…

**Sorry for the shortness, but I had to end it there! Not only to torture y'all, but if you read the chapter titles, you'll understand why. Next one will be longer, I promise.**

 **Yah, this chapter was done BEFORE the hiatus but I never got around to posting it. As a "OMG SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO SORRY THANK Y'ALL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!" gift, I'm posting two chapters at once. Enjoy!**

*******TUT*******

"When I give the word, you push the button. Understand? No matter what!"

"Yessir, Commander Kelp."

*******TUT*******

Artemis was in his study, video chatting with Foaly. They had located Trouble's base and were trying to formulate a plan that did not involve Holly.

"Foaly, any more ideas?"

"Nope. Your turn, Mud Boy."

"Okay. I suggest we–"

He was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream from a few rooms over.

"ARTEMIS!"

Artemis jumped up from his swivel chair and ran out of the study to Holly's room. He flung the door open to reveal Holly kneeling by her bed, panting and moaning, obviously in excruciating pain.

*******TUT*******

Foaly didn't try to stop Artemis as he bolted out. He just hoped Holly was okay.

"Foaly, how goes the plan making?"

"Well, Commander, Artemis had to do something–"

"Good. Come with me. It's about your wife."

 _Oh no. No no no no no no no no!_ Foaly jumped up and followed Teagan out of the Ops Booth.

*******TUT*******

Artemis hurried over and knelt beside the elf. "Holly. Speak to me! What happened?"

She looked up at him. "Arty…I…I think…they're coming." She said in between chest heaves.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "That's impossible! It's only been six months!"

"If…it's…impossible", she grunted, "then why…am I…in this…position…right now?"

Artemis' eyes widened. _It_ was _the magic. That's the only explanation._ "Okay", he said out loud, "eh…But–"

Just then, Butler dashed through the door, Sig Sauer at the ready. "Artemis, what–" He was silenced by the sight before him, and his eyes widened as he comprehended the situation. He didn't ask, just left wordlessly to prepare a room.

"Artemis…what're you… _doing_?"

"I assume Butler has just left to prepare a room."

(A/N: just put the gasps in Holly's speech if you want them in.)

"Why does he have to prepare a room?"

Well, I can't just take you to a hospital. All the hospitals in Haven are no longer standing, and we both know that a human one is out of the question."

"So you're gonna play doctor and deliver?"

"Well…no."

"I thought you were a certified doctor."

"I am, but…I've never done this before!"

"I'm willing to bet no one else here has, either."

Butler walked in and picked up Holly to take her to the other room. Artemis followed. Once Holly was as comfortable as she could get while in labor, Artemis turned to the manservant. "Butler, I think you are much better prepared for this than I am, so…I think it would be better if you do this."

Butler stared for a moment at his young charge, no emotion showing on his face whatsoever. Then, as if something exploded inside him, his face contorted into a look of disbelief, worry, and fear. "Are you serious?! I have about as much experience delivering babies as I do winning beauty pageants!"

Artemis headed to the corner and sat down in a navy blue plush armchair. "Don't worry, old friend, I'll walk you through everything. I just…don't think I'd be able to do it myself."

Butler grunted. Luckily, Holly was wearing a nightgown, so they didn't need to change her clothing. For two and a half hours, Holly was in labor. Artemis was about to tell Butler how to do a C-section when they started coming out. Artemis ran to grab a towel as Butler helped Holly give birth.

After five minutes, it was over. Butler handed the tiny bundle to the new mom, and many years later, Holly could honestly say that was one of the happiest moments of her life. The twins were female. One had dark, coffee-colored skin like her, and the other had pale white skin like … _No. No d'arvitting way._ But as she looked from the newborn girl to the boy, it became clearer and clearer…

"Artemis–" She started.

Then the manor blew up.


	11. 10: …And Death

**OH MY GOSH PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! I GOT IT DONE! YAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! The last chapter was done before the hiatus, and I thought it would last wayyyy longer but NO! HollyShortWannaBe is back in business, y'all! Thank you so much for your support. I read every single review I've ever gotten for this story and then I had an explosion onside my brain telling me to end the hiatus! So I am! Thank y'all so much for understanding! Soooo… y'all review? Not just that select group of faithful reviewers who I love sososososo much, but y'all who aren't reviewing please leave reviews! Tell me what you think!**

A lotof things happened all at once. Holly screamed as the floor collapsed. You see, there were several bombs planted in the basement. Since the basement spread under the entire manor, a few strategically placed bombs were all it took to send the whole building falling. "Artemis!" She and Butler shouted at the boy simultaneously. Artemis would've been flattered that they both wanted to make sure he was okay had the manor not just blown up. Holly thrust the newborn girls into the arms of Butler, who was near the bed. She rolled out of it and made her way to Artemis to make sure he was alive. The boy was hunched over and still, but after further examination, Holly found a pulse and called to Butler, who slapped an adrenaline patch onto Artemis' arm. That was when they smelled the smoke.

The girls were crying and screaming and Butler was doing everything possible to quiet them down. Holly looked around. She recognised their surroundings as the remains of the basement. "D'Arvit!" She growled. "How are we gonna get out of here?" After a few minutes of her and Artemis frantically searching for am exit and Butler still trying to calm down the girls, the smoke smell grew stronger, and a flaming floorboard dropped to the ground in front of Artemis. He looked up. The entire house above them was engulfed in flames. It wouldn't be long before the fire from the floorboard spread and burned them to death. He cast a frantic glance at Holly. She, too, had noticed the situation and was looking up. Her head tilted back, her arms swinging gently at her side, her tiny frame illuminated by the fire, her auburn hair glowing fiercely… She was like someone from a fairytale. For a few moments, Artemis couldn't bring himself to look away.

Then he was snapped back to reality in the form of another burning piece of rubble falling at his feet. He jumped away from it and ran to Holly.

"Have you found anything?" He panted.

She looked up at him and met his eyes. Her mismatched eyes were full of sadness and despair, but a tiny spark of hope glittered there, too.

"No, not yet." She sighed. "I don't know how we're going to get out of here. It seems too late already… But we'll find a way." She added in a tone full of determination.

Artemis nodded. There was no stopping a determined Holly Short. Especially a determined Holly Short who was also a mother. The best thing he could do was continue searching.

Butler knew the girls were too big for Holly to carry for long, so he fashioned a makeshift harness, strapped them to his back, and joined the search.

*******TUT*******

An hour went by. Holly and Artemis were covered in burns, as they were searching through flaming piles of rubble, and their magic had long since run dry. Butler would've been covered in burns with them, but he knew he couldn't risk the twins, so he searched near the walls that were not burning. After an hour and a half of searching, Artemis pressed his back against a wall and slid down onto his rear. "Holly, I can't do this anymore. I'm exhausted, I can barely stand up." She nodded and came to sit next to him. Artemis saw the depressed and defeated look on her face and, before his brain registered what he was doing, he put his hand on Holly's and moved closer to her. "Don't worry." He whispered. "We'll get out of here. Somehow." As if on cue, a hairy face poked out of the wall and shouted at them. "Mulch!" Holly breathed. Artemis smiled, and Butler followed his charge and the elf into the hole and out of the burning basement.

About halfway through, Holly stumbled and fell in front of Artemis. He moved to help her up, but she shook her head.

"No, Artemis." She protested, gasping for breath. "I can't, I'm too weak. Too injured. Go without me."

Artemis raised an eyebrow and looked at her as if to say "Do you really think you're getting rid of me that easily?" With difficulty, he picked up the elfin girl and heaved her onto his back and continued to crawl. Her arms dangled over his shoulders, and from her slow and steady breathing on his neck, Artemis guessed she had fallen asleep.

They made their way out of the ground to the surface. Artemis emerged from the hole and noticed that Holly's breathing was getting more and more ragged by the second. He laid her on the ground and sat beside her, studying her coffee-colored face. It was badly burned, and Artemis tried to squeeze some magic out of his system, but there was none. Even with his advanced healing powers, he had already used all of his magic to heal himself in the basement. He was perfectly fine. She, on the other hand, looked ready to die.

Just then, Holly woke and opened her mismatched eyes, taking a shaky breath as she felt the pain from the burns grow worse. Her whole body felt as if it was on fire, and she knew she wouldn't survive for long. Artemis knew, too. With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, which mirrored hers, he looked up. That hope was extinguished when, in the twilight glow of the evening, he spotted the moon. It was a crescent in its waning phase. He sighed. Holly noticed there was so much meaning in that one little sigh, that one look on his face. Sadness, despair, anguish, and…love? She shook her head and moaned at the pain that came with it.

Artemis leaned over her and gently held her head still. "Shh, Holly. Don't move. It will only escalate the pain." He whispered. She looked into his eyes, and he met her gaze. Each could've sworn they saw a pink spark flash in the other's eyes, but it must've been a trick of the light.

"Artemis…" Holly choked. He tried to quiet her again, but she stubbornly refused. He had to hear this. She kept talking as she worked up the courage to say what she had to say. "Artemis…take care of the girls. _Our_ girls." Tears welled up in his eyes as he nodded. Holly continued. "Don't be a man they fear. Be the man they respect. Be their anchor, their guiding light, their shoulder to cry on, their teacher. Be their _father."_ She smiled. "And make sure they remember their mother."

She felt herself slipping away, her soul leaving the earth. _No, no, no!_ She had to tell him _now,_ or she would never get the chance. "A…Artemis…I…I love you." She smiled sadly, closed her eyes as their light dimmed, and took her last breath.

And something happened. Something that hadn't happened since he broke his leg when he was two. He leaned over the elf's body, closed his eyes, and Artemis Fowl II cried.

*******TUT*******

 **There's a poll on my profile page that will decide Holly's fate. Her life is in your hands! Vote!**

 **Poll will end at the end of the month.**


	12. 11A Totally Cliché But Original Comeback

**Just so y'all know, no one influenced me to kill Holly, I didn't decide at the last second to kill her. That scene, the death scene, was the reason I wrote the book. It was my inspiration. Without it, there would be no _The Unexpected Traitor._ So be happy, and bear with me.**

 **This is the 2nd to last chapter. I still have to do the epilogue. There will be a sequel, called _Artemis Fowl: The Last Unicorn._ It should be out around November, January at the latest. I'll post on this when it's out, so follow the story.**

 **Sorry for the extreme shortness! The epilogue will be longer, promise.**

 **All the reviews I got basically said the same thing: YAY GOOD CHAPTER DON'T KILL HOLLY! So I have one answer: MWAHAHAHAHA!**

*******TUT*******

As the sixteen-year-old boy cried over his elfin friend's body, he felt a strange feeling that he had never felt before. He felt like he was dying, like his life would be impossible without Holly by his side. There were so many unsaid words between them, so many years of Holly's life that she never got to live. So many things he hadn't said. Things she deserved to know. He felt a part of him die as he opened his eyes and looked at her, hoping this was all a dream. Nope. Everything was exactly the same. Artemis knew there was something he hadn't admitted, even to himself, and he felt like if he didn't say it, he would have to live with the guilt of not putting it out there for the rest of his life. So, following his heart for a change, he cupped her face in his hands. "I love you too." He whispered, and pressed his lips to hers.

Before we go any farther, let me explain something to you. A long time ago, humans had magic. When they lost it, not all of it was lost. A spark of magic remained, and is passed down to every human. Fairies have this spark, too, but they have forgotten how to use it. You see, this wasn't just any magic. It is where the human myth 'true love's kiss can break any spell' originated. This was the magic of love. It was hidden deep inside a person's heart. Not their physical heart, but their soul's heart, the heart that creates love. The magic is locked inside a 'chamber', so to speak, and this magical chamber can only be opened in a time of great need when two people realize they love each other. The magic is released, and the two sparks unite and become many sparks.

This is what happened when Artemis looked into Holly's eyes, and she looked into his. Boy and elf finally accepted, with an open heart and no regret or doubt, that they loved the other. The pink spark was the chamber opening, and the kiss was the contact needed to unite the sparks.

Artemis pulled away and opened his eyes, and saw Holly's body engulfed in pink sparks. He jumped, surprised, and watched the magic work its, well…magic. After a few minutes, the sparks died down and the elf opened her eyes to find Artemis over her, smiling. In her extreme joy, she sat up and kissed him, and this time, he kissed back. Artemis pulled away and looked into her mismatched eyes, grinning as he again whispered "I love you too."


	13. Epilogue

**Last chapter! It's so sad, but so happy, cuz that means the sequel will be out soon! Be on the lookout for _Artemis Fowl: The Last Unicorn,_ from now to December at the latest.**

*******TUT*******

An LEPRetrieval team was sent in to take Kelp, Frond, and all other involved fairies to Howler's Peak for life, and they all lived happily ever after:

Foaly flung the hospital room door open, expecting to find his wife laying there in the bed with machines surrounding her, showing that she was barely holding on and would pass any second or something like that. Instead, he found his wife laying there in the bed with machines surrounding her, showing that she was perfectly healthy and in stable condition. Caballine smiled when he came in and beckoned him over with one arm. The other arm was holding a balled-up blanket. Wait, that blanket just _moved…_

"Look" Caballine whispered to her husband. He peered closer at the little bundle. A tiny head poked out. Foaly gasped. "I thought she wasn't due for another two weeks?"

"She wasn't. Little Marli just couldn't wait that long to see the world."

"Marli?" Foaly asked.

Caballine looked at him, the look on her face daring him to argue. "Yes, Marli. You can name the next one."

"Next one? Is there gonna _be_ a next one?"

Caballine rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. That's what they all say. Then, _poof,_ you're back in the hospital, holding _the next one._ Here, hold her." The blonde centaur pushed the centaur filly into Foaly's hands. He took her and looked at her. She had Caballine's tan skin and muddy brown eyes, and she had inherited his chestnut brown coat. Foaly smiled. _My home gets attacked by a crazed elf who was once my best friend's boyfriend. On the same day, my wife decides to give birth, risking the lives of her and the child. Best day ever._

*******TUT*******

 **One month later**

"Artemis, come here! Look at your genius daughter!"

Artemis walked from where he was sitting on the couch to where Holly was sitting on the rug with Jessica, one of the twins. The other, Juniper, had been asleep on his lap, but woke up when her father stood and started blabbing to herself as she wiggled her way over to the rest of her family.

Jessica was proudly sitting up in front of a perfectly symmetrical block tower. Her big hazel eyes and raven black hair contrasted with her milky white skin. Juniper had icy blue eyes like her father, and had inherited her mother's auburn hair and coffee-colored skin. She was also considerably smaller than her twin, and her ears were a bit pointier.

"Wow, Jessi." Artemis praised as he looked at the pyramid-shaped tower. He was genuinely impressed. The tower was six blocks high. The bottom layer of blocks was red, the next was orange, etc, etc, ending with purple on top. They were perfectly stacked, not crooked at all.

Holly beamed at her. "It's amazing. She's only one month old."

The boy and the elf turned their gaze to Juniper. She was two feet from the couch, dragging herself forward with her tiny arms. Artemis smiled. "You've got to give her credit for persistence."

The other twins, Artemis' brothers, came running into the living room, Myles chasing after his brother, who was carrying a vial of dangerously fizzing red stuff. "Give it back, simple-toon!"

Jessi clapped and squealed in delight. "Thimp-too!"

Holly hugged her daughter and kissed her on the forehead. "Awww, Arty, she said her first word! Then again, her first word was an insult, but we'll worry about that later." Artemis looked back at Juniper. She had moved about two inches. Artemis sighed and picked her up, bringing her to where Holly and Jessi were and sitting her down in his lap. "Don't worry, Juni, we love you too." He told her. She pulled on his ear in reply.

 **Three years later**

Holly arrived at Fowl Manor as Artemis finished feeding the twins. She rang the doorbell to signal she was there, then let herself in.

"Look, girls. Mommy's here."

The twins and Holly and Artemis' relationship… _thing…_ were totally unknown to the People, save Foaly and Mulch. Holly hadn't taken a day off for forty years, and was using her leave time to come to the surface every other Saturday to visit her boyfriend and kids. The rest of the People thought she was visiting family in Atlantis.

She had visited last Saturday.

But today was special.

Today was her and Artemis' third anniversary. Juliet would be left with the girls, and Artemis would take her somewhere. She didn't know where he planned to go, but she hoped it was the beach or something and not some nerdy place that only he and Foaly would find interesting.

Sure enough, it was some nerdy place. But not a nerdy place that only he and Foaly found interesting. Artemis took his girlfriend to Universal in Orlando, Florida.

They both had fun. Holly insisted on going on every ride there, and by the end of the day, Artemis was ready to throw up. But that's not important.

What _is_ important is what happened at sundown. The couple had gone to Downtown Universal to eat, and after having as romantic a dinner as one can have while surrounded by lunatics in gigantic costumes getting drunk, they headed out on the bridge to watch the sunset.

After a few moments of silent bliss, Artemis cleared his throat. Holly turned her head to look at him.

"Holly," he started, "the last three years have been the best years of my life, and…and…Oh, screw long, mushy speeches!" He got down on one knee and reached in his pocket, pulling out a dark green velvet box. He looked her in the eyes and said 'Holly Short, it's been hard, and it will only get harder, but will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a small golden band with three tiny green gems on top.

Holly gasped. _D'Arvit, if I say yes, I leave Haven forever. If I say no, I miss my one chance to be happy. If I say yes, I leave behind everything I've ever known and move to the surface and become an outcast among my own people and become the luckiest elf alive. If I say no, I am the stupidest elf ever and need to go to a crazy asylum ASAP._

And so, instead of a sarcastic comment or something to that degree, she simply said "Yes!" and kissed that Mud Boy 'till his lips hurt.


	14. TLU Is Here!

**Hey guys! The Last Unicorn is here early! Like, really early! Go check it out!**


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